New Career Post Retirement - Life Begins at 65!!

New Career Post Retirement - Life Begins at 65!

In a Merrill Lynch survey conducted in 2005, a majority of baby boomers said that they plan to retire from their present jobs around age 64 and then begin new jobs or careers. Another worldwide survey by HSBC (entitled "The Future of Retirement") found that more Americans plan to work beyond age 65 on new careers, compared to older workers in other parts of the world.

When you are looking to work beyond retirement from your first career, your career choice may be guided by passion, not practicality. If this sounds like you, and you are 50+, you should start planning now for your second career.

You first need to decide whether you want to devote yourself full time to your new career. Most of you have worked 40 hour weeks all your lives. Are you still prepared to keep working at this pace? If you feel it's time to slow down, you can consider a part time job.

If you are looking to work on your own terms, you could try your hand at freelancing. When you freelance, you have the flexibility of choosing your clients and you may find you earn more money. The hours that you put into your job are also not fixed, leaving you a lot of time to pursue your interests.

Working as a consultant also means that you don't have to work long hours, but you actually earn a lot more money if you get hired by the right people. You can use your professional network to find work at a high hourly rate. This works out well if you don't need things like health insurance and long-term stability.

In the US, you can consider working in a wide variety of second careers, including being travel guide, a florist assistant, an interior designer, a home care assistant, a banker, or many others after your retirement. Regardless of which field you may be interested in, do your homework up front - you can easily get more knowledge about what you are expected to do and then apply for these jobs.